


Once In A Lifetime (And Other Inaccurate Titles)

by Hidden_Ajinn



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU hopping, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Night Terrors, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-Undertale Neutral Route, Prosthetic Foot, References to Illness, Self-Harm, Supernatural Illnesses, Tags Added As I Go, Tags May Change, soul fracture, y/n has appearance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27830626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hidden_Ajinn/pseuds/Hidden_Ajinn
Summary: Being placed into Undertale or one of it's AU's narratives is a pretty common trope as Y/N, your typical Reader-Insert.Willingly, you experience your new life according to the whims of the Writers. And for what? You meet the main cast. Join them in their stories ... Settling down in your role until The End comes around. Just in time for you to do it all over again. Maybe next time it will be with a brand new twist, as yet another "Your Name" enters the story.But, what if the same Y/N experienced ALL these other stories and had no control during any of it? If Y/N gained control, would you still be a Y/N...? Or would this Y/N be someone new? ... and what would they do with the potential to choose?Because, really. When were "you" ever in control of the narrative? You're just here for the story =)(suggestions are welcome, ironically)****Arch 1: Potential of Hope 1-?Arch 2: Potential of LoVeAch 3: tbd + n/a
Comments: 29
Kudos: 24





	1. Prologue - The END

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to use the concepts if they inspire you.
> 
> ... i don't actually read every Y/N work - too much "shipping." i prefer platonic fluff and angst over "romance" anyway, so that's what i'm gonna write. this is practice.
> 
> but. i do have a good handle on the basic plot tropes from before i thought reading tags and warnings was relevant. i learned fast that they do, in fact, mean something, go figure XD ...what? i was n00b at interneting and i'm an adult (in age), just asexual/ aromantic and woefully dense when learning these things. barely went on the internet before college. now i know of a few of the weird kinky things the internet has to offer (not shaming those who read it - just not for me in explicit (or even teen and up) levels. it's a shame that's where the good violence and phycological horror is at *pouts*)
> 
> suggestions for what you want to happen in next arch's are welcome (must be approved by me (the author), Writer and Ink to proceed - or three people commenting "it's a good idea" to veto and get it in XD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ho boy. this is not your typical Y/N insert. strap in - things might get bumpy.

The story ends and I’m back in the white-void. 

If I could cry, I don’t know when or if, I’d be able to stop.

But one can’t cry without a body. All that was left of me was a clear soul. An empty glass like heart. Ready to be filled with whatever came next once more. 

I didn’t even have a name of my own. The only name I remember ever going by was _Your Name_.

Last time, I was Y/N. Human Undertale fan pulled into an alpha timeline by that machine and doted upon by a gaggle of skeletons. A soulmate AU. Full of fluff, full of romance and all that implies.

Before that, I was Y/N. Social worker, orphan, hard working and kind, if a bit lonely. Never saw the monsters emerge from Mt Ebott coming, but through some stroke of luck, managed to be put in charge of Frisk’s case. A surface AU. Full of politics and the fight against racism.

The time before that, I was Y/N, reincarnated Undertale fan, as Sans the skeleton. Gasters escaped experiment, and adopted child of Grillby, brother of Papyrus. A Dadsby, babybones AU. Full of hurt comfort, fluff and healing.

And on, and on, and on...

I float, hopeless against the whispers discussing what they should do with me next. It’s unclear if the whispers are one or many, but in the end it doesn’t matter.

I won’t remember this anyway. It’s all just gonna reset. Ha. Never had I understood a Sans more than when I was me. But at least his resets brought people back. Me? I would never see them again. Only their next versions.

I was alone.

Some part of me kept telling me it didn’t matter that it wasn’t really me when I was with them. That it was you who felt those things. The larger part wants to deny the feelings, as you really weren’t me. So that’s what I do; deny. With my whole soul, just like every time before, I deny. Even if I know it won't be enough. It's never enough.

The Whispers of Writer appear to have come to a decision.

I began to fade into the next story. I began to lose ‘myself,’ not that I will ever learn who that is. I'm never around long enough. I desperately wished I could.

I begin to fade. White void fading to darkness as I lose consciousness.

Despite me only being an empty soul to project yourself into, something seemed to crack as I was filled with despair of losing myself to you once again.

For a brief moment, I thought I heard Writer mutter a small, “da fuk?”

But it didn’t matter as ~~I~~ you, slowly woke up on the floor wondering why ~~I~~ you were on the floor.

~~I~~ You can’t remember the last time ~~I~~ you woke up so confused on the floor.

Or can ~~you~~ I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooo yeah. feel free to borrow the concept if it happened to tickle your inspiration or you can give suggestions down below if you don't want to go through the trouble. 
> 
> their soul is clear not because they are empty, but because *they are filled with POTENTIAL ... or something like that XD considering this story concept has the POTENTIAL to be as long as the fandom itself, or end when ever one Writer is board with the idea and hands it off for the next Writer to continue the story. 
> 
> there was something else i would like to say? oh yeah! comments and questions help me *stay DETERMINED. chapters vary in release speed depending on those DT reserves


	2. Meeting A New Pal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~~You would have never in your wildest dream believe you would end up sucked into Undertale with _the_ Sans the Skeleton. You can't help but fan boy a little over this. ~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp. let's see how this plays out.
> 
> *CAUTION*  
> triggers for panic attacks and (unintentional) self-harm in this chapter.
> 
> ... in other news, my cat is an adorable cuddle bug that is persistent in their effort to distract my fingers from my keyboard. some wars just can't be won.

At first, I was devastated realizing I was in Sans’ basement - again - machine filling the room with smoke and sparks, making it hard to see - to breath. A small white dog making it's escape by phasing through the wall as if even the physics and laws of this universe could not contain them, which was true.

Then I realized. **_I_ ** was devastated. **_Me_**. Not **_you_**. 

The tears began to fall even as I struggled to not breathe in the smoke and still gather enough life sustaining air into my lungs. I was filled with so many conflicting emotions, but most prominently, was hope, despite the obvious peril I could be in. I never knew hope could hurt so much. Was I out of the cycle somehow? Was I truly me? I was racked with doubt, but hope refused to let it consume me.

Still on the floor, smiling with tear tracks streaming down my face, I crawled to the door I knew led to the exit. Air is fresher to the ground when there’s smoke after all. I don’t remember where I learned that from, but I trusted the knowledge. I had a lot of knowledge. I had lived through worse after all … most of the time. 

That was how the native Sans found me as he teleported - sorry _shortcut_ \- into the basement.

At first, he didn’t even see the human crawling towards the only exit. The machine had sparked a fire across it’s blueprint and was billowing smoke, now in flames itself.

“shit.” 

His shoulders slumped in defeat before he even began damage control. He was still quick to shortcut to a nearby fire extinguisher to “borrow” after cutting power in the basement. With quick practiced moves he douses the fire. 

Eyesockets dark, he knows if it was a longshot to fix before, it’s impossible now without the blueprints. This machine just wasn’t fixable. Maybe if there was a reset he could try again. Even if it was unlikely he’d get such a span of time to complete it again anytime soon as this was the longest time the kid had gone without resetting. Not that this was a bad ending - it was one of the nicer ones, just short of making the Surface. Toriel took over with a more friendlier outlook to receiving humans that fall.

But he was so close! There had only been a few more wires to connect and he had just gone to borrow Alphys’ soldering tool - not that she really knew what he was working on, but gave her support when she could knowing it had been a long while since he even shot science the side-eye. It wasn't often she could help.

Toriel was much stricter than Asgore had been.

Between Alphys working and hanging out with Undyne (now her assistant) it just didn't feel right to take up to much of her time anyways. Better to just work on it alone.

Then Papyrus had called, asking if Sans was cooking in the basement.

Needless to say, he was not. Which didn’t leave many options as to where the smoke was coming from. 

Stars. Why didn’t he store his blueprints? If he had it would have only been a matter of resets/time before the machine warmed up long enough to take semi-control of the timeline for rest of the Underground. As it were, he couldn’t risk fixing it by memory or risk it saving the room and being stuck with no blueprint and an unfixable machine. He can't remember when he last saved it's progress. Maybe three days? He always turned that function off when he was working on it in case of accidents. Only needed to forget that once.

Fire, the most immediate problem taken care of, Sans shortcuts to the door to air out the smoke.

Only then, turning to face the room did he see the human frozen on the floor, tearing up and tight-lipped as they looked between him and the door. The human appeared to be an adult male - not that Sans had much experience gendering humans - with glasses wearing nightwear and slippers. 

He panicked and turned them blue harder than he normally would, causing them to violently faceplant.

It was just too much new for one day.

Pinned to the ground, I began to panic. If I wasn't already on the floor, I would have fallen to it. I ended up clipping my chin against the floor though.

The room began to get distant as the many abusive past lives seemed to resurface. 

I was pinned under the car. Me and my family were in an accident. I could hardly see through the pain but no one else appeared to be moving. They were too still - _way_ too still. Why weren’t they breathing - 

\- I was back in the lab and Gaster was punishing me for something I didn’t do right. Pinning me to the wall with his magic, he hurt me and forced my brother to watch as something _broke_ -

\- I was on the surface with a foster home that thought restraining a child with scratchy rope and throwing them around was an acceptable form of punishment -

\- I was fighting for my life on the streets when I pickpocketed the wrong skeleton and -

\- I was trying to run when -

~~"Shit, shit, shit - damage control! Fuck. This is why I need an editor." - Writer~~

I began to pull back from these sights and sounds that were not truly mine, when I felt something pressed into my hand and a voice asking me to breathe. I think there was another sound but I was still too distant and the ringing in my ears was so loud.

Slowly, oh so slowly, I came back to myself.

The first thing I noticed was the red - the blood - streaming from five points on each arm, as if gripped hard enough to break skin. I could already feel a nasty bruise in my future.

The sight almost brought me back into the memories, but suddenly, most of them became distant like a nightmare, one life standing above the rest. I didn’t recognize all of it. Then it dawned on me - it was this timelines past. It was the dominant and seemed to be attempting to reject the other pasts.

Sure this timeline also had tragedy in it’s past, but it was mostly dealt with. A car crash during a family vacation where I lost both parents, my sister and my left foot. Moving in with my dorkey eccentric Aunt and tsundere Uncle. Getting accepted into university and getting into Undertale - of course. I - or rather this Y/N - hadn’t played in a month or so and was feeling particularly nostalgic before booting up the game before planning on going to bed and ending up here instead.

I didn’t forget the other memories completely, and they certainly affected me still - if my shaking and nausea was anything to go by - but I didn’t have a panic attack this time. It was a near thing, but I managed. 

The next thing I managed to focus on was what was in my hands. For a moment, I was dumbfounded. In my hands were two whoopie cushions, by now punctured by the death grip I had handled them with. The absurd, yet familiar objects grounded me further and my shaking lessoned. I attempted to loosen my grip, but it appeared the joins had locked up. It would take a while before I could pry them open.

The moment I questioned how they had gotten there, I noticed a voice in the area, rambling on.

A familiar voice. And I remember what had set me off in the first place.

Sans was reciting Fluffy Bunny from memory, keeping an eye socket on them. 

It was something Papyrus would do whenever Sans had a night terror. He knew a voice can be grounding, that hearing something that didn’t match with the perceived threat could help snap a person back to reality.

This didn’t seem like a night terror, even if they were similar - they were awake when it came on - but that was the best Sans knew to do besides preventing them from harming themself further.

Since their hands seemed desperate to grip something - to the point of puncturing their own forearms - and he wasn’t about to let them hold his hand with the force he could see behind it, he had used what he had on hand. His whoopie cushions. 

But worst of all he hated seeing how unresponsive they were at first, even as the blood dripped to the floor in little drops or when the cushions let out their fabled sound before they too were punctured. Head shaking back and forth to deny what they were seeing, rocking side to side as they curl in on themself to make them smaller. Their mouth wordlessly moving as if to speak but no sound escaping.

Was this similar to how he looked when caught in his own terrors? Was this what Papyrus had to put up with for him? It couldn’t be that bad … right?

His brother really was too good to him. He would need to make it up to him somehow. Maybe he’d shock him by moving his sock.

Now was probably not the time to be thinking that.

He stumbled from his thoughts of being unworthy of Papyrus’ greatness by a watery sigh.

The human looked at him with a face full of mixed feelings; relief, anxiety, suspicion, fear, grief, and hope. But most notably, it was a look of familiarity - and a look of dread.

On top of the fact that they were human, this set Sans on edge, but he was confident with his ability to appear nonchalant and lazy. Even though nothing is further from the truth.

“hey pal, uh. you’re human right?” they didn’t respond, but he didn’t expect them to. “that may be hilarious but uh … what is a human doing in my basement?” He closed one socket. “i _am_ sorry to have rattled you so bad but. you _are_ in my basement. and we didn’t even have dinner yet. or met for that matter.”

He gave a pause to see if the human would say anything. They didn’t. But their thoughts appeared to be working a mile a minute as they absently readjusted their glasses with their gripped hand.

“let’s start over. i’m sans. sans the skeleton. what’s your -” when he held out his hand to shake and/or assist the human to their feet, they flinch back as if he were going to strike them.

They stumble to their feet, a good head and shoulders taller than Sans.

“I-I’m sorry!” they yell, fresh tears spilling from their eyes.

Sans is taken aback and didn’t have the time to recover before they had bolted out the still open doors into Snowden. In nothing but a white T and plaid pajama pants. Off the human went. Alone. In the Undergrounds coldest area. They should be fine...

“shit.” 

I didn’t know why I did that. Or rather, I didn’t know entirely. What I did know is that when he reached toward me, a thousand others did as well. Some as enemies and abusers, some as friends and some as lovers. There were so many emotions and I didn’t know what to feel. Or, rather, there were many ideas for what I should feel, but not many of them felt quite ‘right’ when applied to ‘me.’ At the forefront of my emotional turmoil, were this timeline Y/N’s intended emotions, such as excitement, worry and confusion - the norm for a new universe. But that was what _you_ felt.

It kind of reminded me of when I was Frisk substitute sharing a mind with a Chara - only there was less narration or awareness on its part this time. More of a deep understanding of the person than the person being there.

I refused to admit the possibility that you were still affecting me, if only on a much smaller scale.

So not knowing what I felt, I got scared.

I flee into Snowdin and keep going.

Knowing the layout of the town even better than my own self I barely even had to think as I maneuvered through shadows and tree lines to stay hidden. Even avoiding some of Alphys’ more obscure cameras such as behind Lesser Dogs post and the tree by the snowball game. At first, I didn’t even know where I was heading as I was so stuck trying to analyze how I was feeling until I was halfway there.

The Ruins door. Not that I was hoping to see Toriel or anything ... not that I would mind, I don't think ... but a familiar location seemed a lot easier to deal with than a familiar person. I didn’t even care that Sans was following me. As long as he stayed away and let me at least have some peace to myself first and didn’t attempt anything unsavory, he can do and assume whatever the hell he wants till I calm down.

The stump that ended a couple inches above where my ankle should have been felt a little chafed from the prosthetic by the time I approached the door. I had forgotten how far it was and it took about half an hour, perhaps more to get there. I had maybe only run for about five to ten minutes of it.

Finally, I reached the door and - after unplugging the camera - I slid down into the snow at it’s base. It was cold, but not too cold. I could probably be fine for a little while, even in sleep wear. I was glad for my slipper shoes - they at least had waterproof soles. I probably wouldn’t have made it all the way in socks. Which made me wonder if socks were a kink in this universe. I shuddered. Now was not the time to think about that. For some reason the thought of that kind of intimacy made me feel … violated maybe? Even though it was fine at the time? But maybe it was because I didn’t see those memories as mine - or any of them really. But I had never really had the time to process the ramifications of that.

I shake my head and bury my face in my knees as I take a shaky breath. Tears hovering between wanting to fall and wanting to stay. I needed to process. I needed to know who I am before I know what I want. Or do I? At the moment I was pretty content to wallow… 

No … no, I should probably not give up before I start. This is what I wanted. 

Slowly I began to piece together who I am. It wasn’t complete, and I knew it never would be, but at least I would have something to fall back on as my own.

I thought about various memories, trying to get a feel for my, well, feelings. Not just how you felt at the time, but asking how I might feel being in those situations.

How would I react to being attacked?

Probably panic again, even though I feel like I would probably only be mildly annoyed if I managed to get past that initial reaction fast enough. Probably brush it off with an eye roll depending on the situation. Good thing I remember some techniques from time as a shrink. It was probably some sort of PTSD or … I guess they're calling it PTSS now as it is not a disorder, but a syndrome? Maybe. Anything not from this timeline is pretty blurry. But I am definitely traumatized in one form or another. Admitting it is the first step. 

How would I react to flirting or romantic advances?

I shuddered at the violent feeling of butterflies in my stomach and a touch of fear from my amygdala. Thanks brain. So, I would also panic. Probably because I’ve gotten so ingrained with the idea it’s all going to reset anyway, or fearing some of the more abusive circumstances, or maybe, I genuinely wasn't interested...? It was too soon to answer this, I felt.

What about … platonic relations? Do I want a friend?

The butterflies lessoned as I was filled with a sort of anxious longing. So, that’s a yes. I … I didn’t want to be alone any more. Oh stars did I not want to be alone anymore - the revelation _hurt_. It was as if my very soul were calling for help as I began to sob.

Little did I know, it was.

And somebody came.

“hey….” 

My head shot up as I heard the familiar voice trail off. He was standing a few feet away, forcing himself to look somewhat relaxed, hands lazily in his pockets.

I rubbed my eyes with my hands to at least attempt to rid some of the tears as a few stray hiccoughs and sobs subside.

“S-sorry…” I manage to squeeze out, “I-it’s a-all just s-so ...” I vaguely gesture to everything in hopes he would get it.

“yeah…” He said awkwardly. “it’s, uh. not everyday you meet a living skeleton and experience magic… it can, heh, take a skele- _ton_ out of you.”

I don't comment.

A single bead of sweat rolls down his skull as he studies my face. I have no idea how my face reacted to what he was saying - probably not discreetly.

“heh.” he shifted uncomfortably. “what’s that look for? am i wrong?”

Sans ... didn’t know what to think of the human. They had seemed _very_ familiar with the layout of the Underground. That … did not sit well with him. But what surprised him was that they did not use this uncanny knowledge to proceed forward, but had instead gone _backwards_. They had also managed to slip past the other monsters wandering about (the guard had been disbanded) and - heck - even Alphys’ cameras. Despite this obvious, if possibly unintentional, display of knowledge and skill, they seemed to be having a horrible time mentally. And the way they had flinched and panicked … well. Not much about them was adding up. But it wasn’t painting a pretty picture. At least they hadn’t killed anyone … yet.

Then they had just … sat down in front of the door. They had a look that just screamed ‘done’ before they curled up. A look he had seen staring back in a mirror more often than he would admit. They seemed to be crying again. That was when he heard their call for help. He wasn’t even sure they were aware they were doing it, but he didn’t roll it out as a possibility. Just in case it was a trap - though unlikely - he kept his distance.

He was awkward and not very good at being a comfort, but at least they had stopped calling out for help. It would be very hard to explain if found standing over a traumatized human calling for help and crying. At least they didn't run again.

So … progress.

“I … don’t want to talk about it.” Their face taking on a pained appearance. “Not … not yet.” They amended turning away.

So they would talk. That was good. He had questions. And he was far too exhausted to force the answers out of them.

“so. i’m sans. nice to meet you. again. still, uh, didn’t catch your name…?”

“Y…” they cut themself off getting a thoughtful look on their face. “Name me.” They said instead.

“um. what?” He was clearly baffled.

“Give me a name.” They satiated firmly, trailing off at a quieter volume when they continued. “I … I don’t want to be associated with that person anymore.”

They both stared into each other's eyes, and when it appeared they weren’t going to back down, Sans sighed.

“aight…” He didn’t take long, surprisingly. “how ‘bout hue?

“Hue?”

“last name manson.”

“... Hue Manson?” 

My face immediately dead pans at the pun. 

Hue Manson. Human son. 

I repress the urge to face palm, despite my small smile, but at the same time, I feel ... content. Maybe even happy.

“welp. if _hue_ don’t like it i could always -”

“No!” I’m a little embarrassed at the volume, but I continue, “N-no. I like it. I like the name.” 

“glad you have a sense of _hue_ mour.” He winked.

“... I hope I don’t come to regret this decision.”

He only shrugged in response.

There’s a slight gust of wind and I begin to shiver more noticeably.

After a beat, Sans said, “look. it’s pretty chilly out. why don’t we head back to where it’s warm? i know a shortcut. but first.”

This time I managed not to flinch quite as hard as he offered his hand. In it, he held a monster candy.

"it's a monster candy. monster food has healing -"

"I-I know." I said taking it from him. I felt a bit bad cutting him off. "...thank you."

I let him help me to my feet as I pop the distinctly non-liquorice flavored candy in my mouth. I also lean down to grab some cold snow, in my numb hands and attempt to wash away at least a margin of the blood. I had seen worse. Been _through_ worse.

Don't think about that, I tell myself. Not now. Not all at once.

“...maybe when we get there we can have our talk.”

A few steps later and they were in front of his house.

“err. fallow me.” He said as he opened the door and walked in, not bothering to whip his slippers as he went.

“SANS!”

“sup bro.”

I froze, just for a second, but I was quick to snap out of it. But then I relax when Papyrus goes into his lecture voice. He tends to miss things when ranting. I entered and shut the door, following Sans closely as he began to head upstairs, likely to his room.

“YOU KNOW WHAT’S ‘SUP’ BROTHER! SEVERAL DENIZENS OF OUR QUAINT LITTLE SNOWDEN TOWN HAVE ASKED THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE THAT IS BILLOWING FROM OUR BASEMENT! AND YOU DIDN’T EVEN WIPE YOUR FEET !?!?!”

“heh. yeah, sorry bro. things really got _fired_ up.”

“SANS !!! THAT BETTER NOT HAVE BEEN A PUN! BETWEEN UNDYNE AND ME PARTAKING IN OUR CULINARY CREATIVITY WE DO NOT NEED A THIRD PERSON SETTING THE HOUSE ON FIRE ALL WILLY-NILLY!”

“well no need to get _heated_.”

“SIGH.” He pinched the bridge of his nasal ridge. “I AT LEAST EXPECT YOU TO HAVE CLEANED SOMETHING UP! KNOWING YOU, YOU JUST LET IT SIT THERE AFTER PUTTING OUT THE FIRE AND CALLING IT GOOD ENOUGH!”

“eh.” he shrugged. He paused, and turned to Papyrus now at the bottom of the stars. “also, papyrus this is hue, hue papyrus. they’ll be staying the night before heading to the capital to see the queen in the morning. they’re human.”

“HUMAN !?! BUT …” He tilted his head to the side and tapped his chin. “WHERE WILL THEY SLEEP ??? UNDYNE IS ALREADY USING THE COUCH ???”

Speak of the devil.

With a mighty, “NGAHHH!!!” Undyne kicks in the door, a miracle it still stays attached by the hinges. “GUESS who just got back from doing NERD STUFF with ALPHYS!!!”

Then, her one, not eye-patched eye locked directly into mine.

I feel as though I am about to experience an unfortunate set occurrences, of which, many will not be pleasant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nice _burn_ Pap. you tell 'em. i'm sure he'll _clean up_ his act in no time. he's so close to moving that sock - i can _patella_.
> 
> ...Undyne? what are you thinking ...?
> 
> as for Sans - any machine is a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough. scientists tend to invent a lot of smoke machines XD
> 
> and then there's Hue Manson all like: this is fine. totally ... fine,
> 
> DT is my ink; comments are my supplier.


	3. Nice Meal Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well. I didn't expect things to go this way, but i am ... satisfied with it. mostly. maybe it feels a bit rushed but, eh, onward!
> 
> did i not mention i have made almost no plans for the specifics of this story other than non-romance, angst and occasional fluff? just, like, five bullet points for general direction mile points and core lore XD keeps things interesting for me too - but I'm a quick wit - i can handle this *posses like a Papyrus*

We both froze.

Me, a one legged (footed) human who already wore themself out today by a trip to the Ruins door.

Her, a blue Amazonian fish lady with flaming red hair. Not only do her muscles exude fitness as a life source rather than a style, she would most definitely not be the type to skip leg day.

It wasn’t long before she broke the silence. But for me? It was long enough for the room to get distant and for me to hear the far off sound of her magic spears being summoned in my 'gifted' memories. For some reason, my journeys as a fallen child substitute were more distant than those of being a transported Undertale fan. Weird. It was like the intensities and clarity were specifically being tailored to my current AU situation ... I decided not to think about it. I've a fish lady to attend. Luckily, not having to deal as heavily with the memories that would be most traumatic to this situation - and not thinking any deeper into the why - I managed to stay mostly in the present. It also helped that I tightly gripped one of my forearms, giving me something physical to focus on. Though, not enough to break skin this time. That was an accident - one that was hopefully nonrecurring.

“Papyrus …” Undyne said quietly with her gravelly voice. She did not take her squinted eye off of me. “Is that a human in your house?”

“WHY YES !!!” he shouted excitedly. “SANS SAID THEY WILL BE STAYING HERE. THEY WILL BE TAKEN TO THE QUEEN TOMORROW!”

“That is. So. AWESOME !!!” she began to go on a triade of questions, even as she eyed me up and down. “What’s your name? Do you cook? How old are you? Do you like anime? What kind of -”

“UNDYNE! YOU ARE UPSETTING THE HUMAN WITH YOU NUMEROUS QUESTIONS. THEY HAD JUST ARRIVED!”

It was true. I had started shaking. But I persevered through it to push out words.

“M-my name is Hue.” 

Everyone's attention was on me so I took a breath. Luckily it didn’t seem as though I was going to panic. Talking calmed me, or at least, I knew it calmed this Y/N, so I was going to give it a shot, though I was struggling to remember the questions.

“A-and I do like to cook-” then quickly hurrying on so I wouldn’t be dragged into cooking with them immediately. “-maybe I could make pancakes for breakfast before I go see the queen. But uh, I’m pretty tired right now and was hoping Sans would show me where I could sleep. And uh, I just recently ate before I ended up here so you don’t need to make me anything.”

Spaghetti nightmare avoided and edible food acquired for morning. I was glad I had the experience to make that go so smoothly. I barely even had to think before I spoke. Just the thought of Papyrus’ spaghetti before actual lessons was traumatic in itself. The words came so easily I was worried it was you who had said them for a second, but quickly corrected myself.

I couldn't remember the other questions, but Papyrus saved me from having to answer.

“SANS! YOU HAVE ONLY KNOWN THE HUMAN LESS THAN A DAY AND ALREADY YOU ARE INFECTING THEM WITH YOUR LAZINESS!”

“sorry bro.”

“Yeah!” Undyne exclaimed. “I was hoping they could show me some awesome human fighting skills! And watch anime! And cook!”

“Maybe after I visit the queen ...” And probably not the fighting.

Papyrus looked me over, possibly noting the puffiness of my eyes and the way I was favoring my right foot.

“... PERHAPS IT WOULD BE BEST. BUT !!! DO NOT EXPECT TO BE SLEEPING IN LIKE A CERTAIN LAZY BONES! FOR YOU SEE I WILL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTAKING IN THESE PANCAKES UPON AWAKENING!” 

“Than y-”

“OH NO! THIS BRINGS US BACK TO THE TOPIC OF WHERE THE HUMAN WILL SLEEP! NYO HO HO!”

“Hey that’s right!” Undyne realized, pounding her fist into her palm. “I’m ALREADY on the couch! Sans, where are we going to put them!?”

“well uh." His hand scraped the back of his spine. "i was just going to give them the floor in my -”

“THE FLOOR !?! SANS! THAT IS NO WAY TO TREAT A GUEST OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS! VERY WELL.” he struck a pose, short cape billowing in the non-wind. “I. THE GREAT PAPYRUS. SHALL ALLOW YOU. HUE THE HUMAN. TO COMMANDEER MY BED UNTIL WE FIND YOU THE BEST OF SLEEPING CONDITIONS. NOT THAT THERE ARE MANY THAT COMPARE TO THE GREATNESS OF MY VERY OWN BED !!! NYEH HEH!”

“paps-” Sans began worriedly.

“That is a very generous offer.” I said.

But I knew there was no way Sans would want to take his sockets from me so early on. Especially alone with Papyrus.

“But Sans and I were going to be talking about the journey to come and what the Queen expects. And you will find pancakes taste much better after a full night's rest and your bed sounds like the best to do that. If it bothers you, I can take Sans’ bed and he can take the floor. He was the one who suggested it after all.”

Papyrus took a while before answering, studying me in a way that suggested a trick puzzle. It seemed as though he was debating something. But he did come to a decision.

“HUMAN. YOU MAKE A VALID ARGUMENT! IF IT WOULD PLEASE YOU TO BESTOW MY KINDNESS BACK ONTO ME, WHO AM I TO DISSUADE YOU !?! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS GREAT AT MANY THINGS! AND RECEIVING KINDNESS FROM STRANGERS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS! AS IT HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY I MIGHT ADD! VERY! I AM VERY POPULAR!”

“I’m sure you are, someone as great as you.” time to pamper the cinnamon roll. “I'm sure many are intimidated by such a great person and would prefer to admire you from afar do to feeling unworthy of such greatness.”

“ **REALLY !?!** ” His pitch increased and he had tiny stars in his eyes. He cleared his throat. “I MEAN. OF COURSE! HOW COULD THEY NOT!? I AM TRULY THE GREATEST!” 

“Heck yeah you are you goofball skeleton!” Undyne grabbed Papyrus in a headlock.

“NUUU! DON’T NUGGIE THE SKELETON !!!”

Undyne gave me a look of appreciation over the struggling skeleton. I couldn’t help a small smile and a nod that said, ‘anytime, ma’am.’

Sans watched the exchange, furrowing his brow ridge. That human _definitely_ knew more than they were letting on - he didn't even need to have checked them before to see that - they practically had everyone wrapped around their finger already.

He would definitely be asking a lot of questions. And the human _had_ said they would talk.

“Maybe you two could watch tv while me and Sans talk.” The human suggested. “What time is it anyway?” They went to check their wrist, remembering they didn’t have a watch, then attempting to change the motion into crossing their arms more firmly to hide their blunder. The tow didn't seem to notice.

“GASP!” Papyrus said out loud, hands to his cheek bones. “MTT WILL BEGIN ANY MINUTE !!!”

The six and a half foot skeleton vaulted the couch, practically vibrating as he turned on the tv.

“Oh. Right. Yeah.” Undyne said. “Don’t want to miss that.” Before joining, she gave the human the 'i'm watching you' gesture and said. "No funny business. You too comedian."

"that's one _tall_ order 'dyne." he said looking up and winking at her.

Nervously I added, to Sans surprise, "At least you're aware of you _short_ comings."

He snorted and was no doubt about to add some more punmenship when Undyne cut in.

"Don't. Encourage him. You will regret it." Undyne cautioned. 

I nod, mentally adding, ' _as you_ _fish_.'

She gave me a wide smile and smacked my back. I almost fell over. 

"Good!"

"UNDYNE! UNDYNE IT'S STARTING!"

"Coming, Paps!" before discreetly sighing and mumbling, "What I do for friends."

She walked around to sit down like a normal person. Sans knew she wasn’t the best of fans after Alphys had admitted that she often felt like the celebrity had abandoned her before the kid had gone through and they started getting in contact a bit more for things other than just maintenance. It was getting better, but it was still rocky.

Just the too, of them, now that the other two were distracted by the tv, the human broke the silence first.

“Lead the way skeleman.” The human’s voice was carefully measured. They were refusing to look him in the eye and had gone back to gripping their arm. It seemed like a nervous habit.

It was time he and the human had a serious talk about what they knew.

“second door on the left.” He gestured behind him to the stars for them to go first. They gave him a small shaky smile. As the human made their way up the stares, he shortcut to wait by the door.

As they made their way down the hall, Sans noticed the way they favored their right more heavily. Did they injure it earlier? He couldn’t recall seeing them trip earlier.

They didn't seem surprised to see him already there, but the closer they got to his room, the tenser the human got. Below them, Papyrus could be heard happily talking about Mettaton with Undyne occasionally chipping in. As soon as the door clicked shut, however, any conversation from down stairs cut off, the sound proofing kicking in. The quiet did not calm their nerves and they looked a little out of it.

Snapping his phalanges (finger bones) in front of their face they came back to the present with a flinch and the start of a defensive stance Sans noted, internally tensing, before they calmed down again. Well, calm enough.

“nervous?” 

“Y-yeah sorry.” they took a slow breath. “It’s just … I know you have questions and with how I was acting earlier you're probably suspicious from following me and-” 

“you noticed?” Sans raised a brow, but they only shrugged as they continued at a slightly faster pace, still in the same breath, not looking him in the eyesockets.

“-you probably noted how familiar I was with the area and were probably worrying about a new human with a reset ability-”

“w h a t ?” eyesockets darkened.

They got even faster. They had been speeding up the entire time. It was as if the dam had broken.

“-which I _CAN NOT_ do. I know about it from being trapped in a separate reset loop that sends me to a new universe or sometimes multiverse that I have no control over - some where this is all a videogame or fanfiction - or where monsters make it to the Surface and I help with integration - or I replace Frisk on their journey - and that’s not even the worst part!” 

They had begun to cry partway through, but their words were not impeded as they began to get louder now too. Their eyes locked onto him filled with so much pain, and anger begging to be understood.

Sans couldn’t help but flinch from the look.

“I have been possessed, killed, reborn and passed around as some sort of plaything for some sick fantasy of whoever the hell decides they want to experience this shit - over and over and _over!_ And for the first time I am _me_ and I _remember_ and I have _hope_ it’s the _end of it!_ I don’t want to be forced through anymore resets and I am _terrified_ because I’ve been so thoroughly traumatized by not just the deaths or literal torture, but by the fact that anyone I have ever met, trusted, _loved!?_ ” Sans was positive that if humans had eyelights, they would have gone out. Instead their eyes went unseeing and their face was scarily blank as they practically whispered. “ _I will never see any of them again._ ” They laughed a hollow laugh. “A-and it doesn’t even matter. B-because _that wasn’t me that did or felt those things._ ”

They begin laughing again and it quickly dissolves into sobs as they let themself fall to the ground.

Sans head was reeling with the info and emotional dump he just experienced. New universes? Resets? Possession? Fanfiction? Freaking torture!? 

... later. He'd think about that later.

Clearly this person was way past their breaking point, and Sans had no idea how to handle this person in a sobbing heap in front of them.

Slowly, he awkwardly crouched and gave two tentative pats on their shoulder.

“there there …?” He said unsure.

Judging by the snort, his attempt had at least been appreciated.

“I-it’s been a l-long time s-since a S-Sans was so b-bad at comforting me.” They gave a watery chuckle and began to calm down a bit, even if the tears were still fresh. 

“wow. i don’t know if i should be offended or proud.”

Another laugh, this one less watery.

“Thank you.”

Their stomach growled, signaling they were hungry and they sighed.

“Dang. I could go for some Grillby’s but i’m fresh outta energy and I don’t have any G.”

“yeah? me too. how ‘bout a shortcut? you deserve it after whatever hell you went through to get here.”

With a neutral face, I replied. 

“ _Damn_ right I do.”

Sans chuckled and helped me to my feet.

"don't say that in front of pap."

One shortcut later and they were standing in the door of Grillby’s.

My mouth was watering already. No matter the universe, it was almost a guarantee that Grillby’s burgers were to die for. And as someone who has died I’m inclined to say it’s just. that. good.

The door opened with a small jingle of a bell. We walk up to the counter, the patrons giving Sans many greetings. A few noticed me as a human and seemed fine with that, seeing as Sans had invited me. A few were curious and excited but didn't want to be rude. I was grateful for that.

“Hey Sans. Been a few days since you showed up. We missed your jokes!”

“well then you better work on your aim.” he said with a wink.

There’s some laughter as we take our seats at the bar.

“so, what’re you in the mood for?”

“Burger.” No hesitation. 

“someone who knows what they want. ‘respect that.” He added a wink. He turned to the fire elemental polishing a glass. “double order of burg, grillbs.”

Grillby - the fire elemental in a classy bartender suit - made for the kitchen.

“Respect. Sure. Says the guy who just copies whatever order their guest chooses.”

“heh. guilty.”

I roll my eyes, finally relaxing marginally in the cozy atmosphere. It didn’t take long for the burgers to arrive. It only took one bite and I was in heaven. Just how I remembered it. Better even, as it was me who was enjoying it.

It was after my second bite I noticed that Sans was holding up the ketchup bottle - likely to ask if I wanted any. And likely before I started.

I swallowed. “It’s uh, a bit late to add.”

He shrugged. “more for me.” 

He began to guzzle the red stuff directly from the bottle. Now this just wouldn’t do. I had always thought that habit was weird and disgusting. I’m not exactly judging him for it as I have done the same in another life but, right now? ... _gag_.

Setting down my burger and leaning in so only he would hear, I whispered a little fact about the last timeline me and him shared. That we were dating in a poly relationship. Not the part where we … well. Sure his reaction would have been priceless, but I was _not_ ready to acknowledge that bit of my forced experiences.

As it were, he only choked a little bit while downing his condiment. He narrowed his sockets in a ‘seriously?’ look that seemed to be part, ‘you couldn’t have waited till I finished?’ and ‘are you messing with me?’ Unlike some Sans I have interacted with, he did not immediately light up a glowing blue blush like a Christmas/Giftmass bulb. One of the things I have amassed from my knowledge of the multiverse is the blush level of a Sans can be an indicator of how romantically inclined a story will be when coupled with an overt of cliché events. It's about 80% accurate. Same could be said about nicknames like sweetheart or kitten.

I gave him an exaggeratedly displeased look the said, 'I know right? With you?' and I laughed at the face he had made. Hand to sternum he gave off mock offence. It filled me with a small sense of ease. It felt like it had been forever since I last smiled … I guess, technically, I never had.

Sans rolled his eyelights and gave a small chuckle, then finished his … beverage. He took another look at my face and chuckled deeper at my clear distaste. 

“what?” he smirked. “it’s not like you’ll _ketch_ anything.”

I grab the yellow condiment with one hand, flip and catch it pointing accusative at him with the bottle, with a smirk of my own.

“You _must-a-heard_ wrong.”

A snort.

Pretty soon we were both laughing. It was nice. I had almost forgotten my breakdown and was content to just live in this moment, experiencing it for myself. Good food, good friends and good laughs.

But I should know by now. I’m not allowed to keep nice things.

Suddenly there was a pain in my chest and the feeling of bile crawling up my throat. It burned like acid or karma. I clutched my chest with one hand, covering my face as I began coughing. When something wet hit the small of my elbow (because obviously I know how to cough properly), I knew it wasn’t good. I pulled back to see ... purple!?

It took a moment, but I had an idea of what was happening.

I gave a small hollow, humorless laugh.

Without any intonation, I said for Sans’ benefit holding up the liquid, “I think my soul is leaking.”

I must have said it louder than intended. Anyone in hearing distance was mortified and had paused what they were doing. Grillby's flames flared for a moment before settling at a heat that was still more than it had been when calm. Sans’ eyelights had gone dark and I was hit with a besiege of checks - normally very invasive to a person's privacy without permission, but considering the seriousness of my claims, and the magical evidence dribbling from the corner of my mouth, it was more important to check if I wasn’t, like, dying.

Sans, while following the human previously had done his own check on the human already. Before, there had been a little damage, but that could be explained by a rough landing in this universe/multiverse, maybe.

Now though …

**“Hue Manson”**

**HP 15/15**

**AT 1**

**DF 1**

**LV 1**

**EXP 0**

***their SOUL is leaking the PERSEVERANCE trait**

***they are resigned to the end knowing it will be as themself, surrounded by good people**

… their total hp was half of what it had been when they had run to the Ruins door. That flavor text also didn’t leave much to interpret, clearly different from what it was before:

***knows more than intended and needs time to collect themself**

***they are not meant to be here**

The human began mumbling nonsense.

“Should have known I wouldn’t be allowed … there are no happy endings … at least I can die as me...”

A few patrons had begun to tear up reading the flavor text, even if they didn’t understand it fully. Monsters aren’t so unaffected by such a display of hopelessness, even in a stranger. Especially a stranger that has taken one look at them and already decided they're good people. Some of the dog squad had seen their loved ones Fall Down from lack of hope and were more affected than others. Greater and Lesser began to whine.

Grillby himself tried to remain stoic, but his hands still shook. The sight no doubt brought back some unhappy memories of before the barrier.

“you’re not gonna die.” Sans said firmly, placing hands on their shoulders.

They look into his dark eyesockets.

“You can’t promise that." they said dully. "I’m not meant to be here, so clearly they found a way to _make me_ leave. What better way than death?”

“you’re right.” he said to the surprise of those listening. It was pretty rare to see Sans acting so serious, and this was a serious situation. “i can’t promise you that. but we _can_ _try_. we can get you to alphys and see what she can do. i don’t care who ‘they’ are, but there is still time.”

“Writer, Creator - whatever you want to call them. I doubt they would send an affliction so easily cured. Not for me. Not for their _toy_.”

“welp. don’t know till _hue_ try.”

"Fine. I have nothing left to loose that isn't already lost."

Without another word to Hue, he picked them up bridal style. The human only gave a forlorn sigh and small eyeroll as a reaction to his choice of handling, going mostly limp. He turned to the dog squad.

“send someone to inform the queen and undyne there is a sick human at the labs. i’ll meet you there. i know a shortcut.”

He turned his back on the saluting Dogi. Tears matted their fur.

Walking out the front door of Grillby's, he stepped directly into the labs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you've had your small moment of fluff - now here's your heavy helping of angst ]:) for a moment there it was going to be more fluff with annoying dog stealing Hue's prosthetic foot to the horror of the bar, only to have it returned by blackmailing annoying dog with Hue's knowledge ... maybe some other time. that dog could strike at any minute - keep an eye out =)
> 
> Hue is really ... _wearing his SOUL on his sleeve_. *bu-dum cha* why are you booing me? i'm right. 
> 
> and to top it all off, no, they did not get to finish the burger <3


	4. The Results

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CAUTION: another panic attack
> 
> have a bit of puns in the face of such _testing_ times (they're at the labs - ya get it?) - not to say there isn't still angst (oh boy is there) but the science puns ... i'd have kept it going, but the best ones _argon_ ... literally just opened a periotic table and just went with it for the puns.
> 
> had a bit of trouble seeing how Hue would act. maybe i should actually plot out some notes ...? nahhh.
> 
> Merry Christmas/ Happy Honokaa / Winter Solstice / Other btw

Alphys had just settled down to rewatch her favorite anime, Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, after checking her cameras. Not truly necessary, as they are rigged to detect a human figure even by just silhouette. But she needed to at least check that they were functioning, and she probably wouldn't surface from the world of anime anytime after she let herself fall into that particular rabbit hole.

And check that Sans wasn’t trolling.

There was nothing of note, other than the Ruins door cam having gone down. She sent in a request for one of the retired Royal Guard to check it out so she knew what kind of tools world be needed or if it needed to be replaced entirely. 

The Guard may have officially disbanded, but a lot of the other monsters still looked to it’s previous members for support. Papyrus, as it’s only official member, was a great help when it came to even the smallest of things, but it was his day off as demanded by the crown, and he was only one monster. For the first month after receiving his new position he didn’t sleep at all. Working on his puzzles all night and helping the population by day. It got so bad he almost wandered off ledges on multiple instances. In Hotland. From there it was her guess that Sans had mentioned something about it to his old pun buddy, and here they are - required days off, once a week. He’s gotten much better about his sleep since then.

Alphys got comfortable. She had changed into a fresh lab coat after Undyne's departure. Undyne's help, as Papyrus would put it, was ... “very explosion inducing.” There had been three today in fact. She was improving. So, after a day of stressing over what might blow up next and working with her crush, Alphys decided this break was necessary.

The kettle began to whistle, and just as she was about to grab it and pour over her instant noodles she heard Sans and jumped.

“alph. We’ve got an emergen-”

“WAHH!” She spun around in her chair, hands going to shield her face, then lowered them seeing who it was. “O-oh. I-it’s you. Sorry.”

She took the kettle off heat, froze, then turned back.

She blinked once, twice, a third time.

“Ohmystarsisthatahuman!?”

“alph. focus.”

“S-sorry.” But there was a human! And Sans was holding them! Like _that!_

The first thing she noted, obviously, was that they were human. Secondly, they were in pajamas and wore glasses. But what was that purple substance …? As she watched, some of it appeared to evaporate before her very eyes. 

“the human needs your help. they’re sick.”

Another blink, and she adjusted her own glasses as she fidgeted.

“W-what’s wrong with them? I-I don’t know much a-about human sickness b-but I can-”

“they’re coughing up soul matter.”

“WHAT!?” Alphys’ voice pitched up.

Now that the mystery substance was probably identified, Alphys already felt in over her head. An eerie shiver ran down her back.

“I’m coughing up soul matter.” The human repeated rather calmly. “Also." they looked at Sans, unamused. "Can you put me down now? Or at least give me a seat? Not that I don’t appreciate you trying to _lift_ my spirits - or in this case, soul.”

Alphys scurried off to procure a chair and medical equipment, leaving Sans and Hue in the main lab. Sans gave a nervous pity laugh at the pun. 

“you sure?”

“It’s my soul that’s the problem.” Hue stated. “My feet work fine - or, well - I mean - screw it.” They started to maneuver from his grip. He let them stand. 

“fine. try not to fall over.” 

They still stood favoring their right, Sans noted, though to a much lesser extent. 

“can’t help notice you keep favoring your right. anything you need help with?”

A sigh. They pulled up their left pant leg. At first, Sans didn’t get what he was seeing. Then it hit him.

“Lost it in a car crash.” They state factually. “Along with the fam. Not really the priority right now though, is it?”

Sans’ eyesockets darkened momentarily. Losing their family and a part of themself in one day? Sans wouldn't know how to deal with that - Papyrus' lose was never permanent.

“i’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Technically didn’t happen to ‘me.’” They said with a shrug. They tap the side of their head. “But even if you had given your sympathy to ‘him,’ he would have said it wasn’t necessary, or something similarly dismissive. He might not have been completely over it, but he came to terms with it. He was willing to start his life over with what was left. Perseverance and that. Oh - and therapy.”

“huh. right. i never did ask you how that whole verse hopping thing worked. but that can wait for a more private setting.” Sans pondered. “well if you’re not ‘him’ … then who does that make you?”

The question immediately has them gripping their arms. They have a hard time making eye contact, he noticed.

“I -” They have a deep, contemplative expression for a moment. They frown and shrug. “I’m just … me. Not Y/N, who I was supposed to be when I woke up. For now, I’m just some ‘poor soul’ in over their head. Other than that, I still haven’t figured out who I am yet.”

“welp. hopefully you’ll have the time to figure that out.”

“... thank you. I do too.”

“so if you’re here, where does that leave this Y/N?”

They blinked at that question, clearly not having thought of that. Before they could answer however, Alphys returned.

“I-I g-got some things that m-might help us f-figure o-out the damage.”

“Thank you, Alphys.”

From her inventory she set down two new chairs near her desk and laid out a couple of handheld devices.

She led me to the chair near her desk, beside the devices she had been retrieved - Sans already in his chair. The lab wasn’t as unorganized as it usually is, and there were less blatant anime figurines. Sans figured Toriel had probably said something. One of the things she grabbed looked suspiciously like a regular camera as she set it up on the desk and pointed it to their chair - or more accurately, the human occupying the chair. At their confused expression, she explained. Sans got comfortable, eyesockets half-lidding, but very much watching what was going on.

“I-It picks up soul e-energy signatures a-and records their behavior as auras i-in the video feed.”

Alphys grabbed the another device. The only indicator of Hue’s nerves were their grip on their arms. Sans himself sat with a curiosity and slight anxiety, but he did his best to appear relaxed. This had never happened before and it was both exciting and nerve wracking. It _was_ the longest without a reset things had gone.

Meanwhile as I sit during my impromptu checkup, I thought about Sans’ last question. Where _were_ you...? 

Alphys turned on the first gadget, getting my attention. She continued explaining as she went along. Probably to keep me calm. Along with herself. Though I wasn’t very nervous about the test - I trusted her.

It was the results that had me the tiniest bit apprehensive.

At least her stutter wasn’t too bad right now. 

“I-I’m just going to get a s-sample before it disperses.” She said, bringing a cotton swab closer.

I held out my arm for her to get better access to the substance coating my inner arm and, nervously, she gave me a small appreciative smile. Looking down at my arm, I noticed that there was a lot less purple than what I had initially coughed up. She gingerly rubbed the cotton swab into the liquid, allowing the small thing to absorb the purple stuff (science!). It made me feel as if she were prepping to take blood. She slid the sample into a small machine, sealing it in. 

“Th-this should let us know i-if there are any s-status effects we should be aware of a-as well as a-any s-secondary traits of y-your soul. N-normally this would r-require some form of e-extractor but w-we don’t need to do that here.”

She typed in a few inputs and the computer screen began showing a loading bar. 

Outwardly, I’m politely nodding along with all the science stuff. Internally though, I'm absently comparing some of the designs to other universes - both from ones I remember experiencing, and ones I’ve only read second hand. It always blew my mind, the variety of what essentially were the same things. But dissimilarities are often found between fan works. Small details that made each one unique. The same could be said about the characters and locations. Though, there were always things that were adopted as popular fanon and head-canon that weren’t in the Game that would show up more often.

But that _did_ bring up a thought. I wondered if I was still in the story Writer had made, or if by breaking the trend I forced Writer to abandon this story and all of this was occurring ‘behind the scenes.’ Or maybe this was all planned from the start … ? Meh. I’ll just come up with my own head-cannon to explain reality and my part in it - wait, I think there’s a word for that … ah, yes - Religion. Anyway, the real answer of how ‘real’ the world was wasn’t worth the existential crisis anyway, despite my leaning toward fiction (probably because of your experience). But it doesn't really matter, does it? I’m here, and I’m doing things. Good enough for me. Besides - if multiverses / universes were near infinite, odds are any experience in any of them are perceived as fictional works in others. That would mean, somewhere out there, there is someone reading about this regardless of whether Writer is the storyteller or the world is a simulation - where Writer is just as fictional, and so are their readers….

My head hurts now. I decide not to dwell on it ... not now.

I blinked back to present when the machine's loading bar completed on the sampler … thing. It revealed a pie chart of the seven soul traits. Unsurprising, perseverance took the majority of the chart - which was followed by kindness and bravery, nearly identical. The rest were small enough they weren't worth the mention.

“I-It doesn’t appear to be from a s-status effect like poison o-or toxin …” she reached for the last tool she had set out. “I-I’m going to need you to h-hold still for this one.”

I sat as still as I could manage. It’s not like I was moving much in the first place, but there’s always been something about a need to move when told not to. My nose developed an itch just to prove my point - but I _persevered_.

Alphys began explaining the machine. This one sort of resembled a megaphone. She had pointed the dish bit toward my chest - my soul - after it had powered on with a small crackle.

“This i-is a soul scanner. I-it provides more data than the typical check a-as well as an imaging option in c-case it would be unsafe to remove the soul o-or in case a patient isn’t comfortable with it. I-it works by sending out small, n-non-hostile probing magical waves similar to the properties of a check a-and-”

She squeaked again when a beep sounded out.

“O-oh. I-it’s done sc-canning.” Alpys took a look at the data and paled - as much as a yellow lizard could that is. “Th-that’s n-not g-good.” 

Sans took a peek over her shoulders and his eyelights went out momentarily, before snapping back on if a bit smaller.

And I finally got to itch my nose. Silver linings. Though I also ended up coughing up more perseverance, but it didn’t phase me this time. Still annoyed me as it burned the back of my throat though.

Sans had the mind to teleport to grab me a hand towel, which I was grateful for.

“What’s wrong, Doc?” I asked, focusing on Alphys, while dabbing up the substance. 

I was prepared for the worst already, but I needed to know. 

But, now that the shock of coughing up soul matter the first time has officially settled, I began to wonder if it really was because of me being here or if the sickness was part of the original plot - in which case there would probably be a way to fix it, or it was non-lethal. **~~“nope, srry. wanted fluff and fanboi. Sweet / wholesome - was gonna be adorb.” - Writer~~ **But something in my gut told me that if I hadn’t entered into this, then the plot would have been almost all fluff. I don’t know why I felt so strongly about that, but I put it down to my experience and intuition. **~~"wut - srsly? hallo???” - Writer~~** For a moment it felt like I was being watched, but I ignored it and it went away. ~~**"wow. b that way.**~~ ** ~~” - Writer~~**

Meanwhile, Alphys was pretty fidgety. She looked at me, the screen, to Sans and the room and tapped her claws on the scanner, all the while she tried to work up the nerve to say what was wrong.

“Doctor Alphys.” I said levelly. “I can handle it. What’s wrong?”

She took a breath and closed her eyes. “Y-y-y-your s-soul i-is cracked a-and leaking i-it’s traits.” she finally worked out the courage to say. Then she added quieter. “Y-you h-have a-an h-hour at m-most t-til th-there’s nothing l-left. I-I’ve n-never seen a-anything l-like it.”

“cracks don’t tend to cut that deep. and even if they do...” He stopped himself from reaching to his own chest. “well. they don’t leak like that.”

It was quiet for a long while before I let out a long drawn sigh. “...okay.” I said.

“H-how i-is this o-okay?” Alphys asked emotionally. “I-I just said th-that you - a-and i c-can’t - th-there’s nothing I-I c-can -” she removed her glasses to wipe her tears. “I-I’m a f-failure … I c-can’t do a-anything right.”

“...hey. You’re not a failure.“ I said softly. I place a hand on her shoulder and give her a reassuring smile. “You’re Doctor Alphys. Genius Royal Scientist and anime enthusiast. Doesn’t that sound better?”

“they’re right alph.” 

Sans looked like he wanted to help me comfort her, but had no idea how. He gave her a small pat on her back looking extremely awkward. It would have almost made me laugh if I wasn't concerned for Alphys. I knew what happened to her in some of those neutral endings. She would try to carry this guilt, even when she wasn't at fault.

“Y-yeah, b-but-”

“No but. Only also.” I said, as close to determined as I can get. “And that ‘also’ doesn’t make _you_ a failure nor does it take away your successes. It’s what makes you a person. We _all_ fail sometimes. But that doesn’t make someone a failure.”

“...o-okay.”

I smiled when she didn’t seem to be panicking so much. I meant it - horrific melty monsters in her basement and all. But she didn't need to know I knew that. 

“Well then …” I said, now letting what she said sink in a bit more, smile dimming. 

It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve experienced death … but this would be the first time _I’ve_ died - and I have no way of knowing if this was a True Death or the beginning of the Next Story.

I wasn’t sure which I preferred, in all honesty. And that kinda scared me more than death itself. I decided it would be best to just shove all these negative thoughts into a little ball and not acknowledge them. I was on a timer after all.

“Morbid curiosity speaking ... mind if I see?” I perked up, probably more than was appropriate. 

Good to know compartmentalization was effective, I thought bitterly with an edge of sarcasm. Maybe I could even suppress my negative emotions long enough to have a relatively okay last hour. To think, I had been prepared to acknowledge them and start on the slow path of healing - but an hour didn’t exactly seem like enough to actually complete that emotional journey, unfortunately. Unhealthy and temporary coping mechanisms it was then.

**~~"...” - Writer~~ **

Alphys began to blink rapidly and Sans appeared likewise bewildered.

“What?” I blinked myself. 

“I-I don’t s-see why n-not…?” She went about typing on the computer - likely to set up the image. 

“got an understanding in soul sciences or somethin’?” Sans asked, trying to get over the nonchalance with which they had seemingly shrugged off their imminent demise. How long had they been stuck in their resets to get like that...? ...and would he end up the same? It concerned him to no end.

“Like I said.” they said turning away from Alphys with a shrug. “Curiosity. It’s like that impulse to just poke something unknown with a stick. Y’know?”

“no.” Sans denied, despite a smirk. “why would you poke something without knowing what it is? sounds like a quick way to get into a _sticky_ situation.”

Rather than acknowledge the pun, they decided to answer his rhetorical question.

“To find out what it is...?”

Sans facepalmed.

“What?” They asked, smirking now as well. “Technically that’s science just skipping a few steps. Like the hypothesis - or safety. Or is that _sulfur_ fetched?”

Sans snorted and his eyes began to twinkle mischievously at the challenge.

“i think _ion_ derstand. i just don’t want to _lithium_ to you.”

“Yeah? Well, don’t _force_ it. Don’t want to _hertz_ yourself.”

“ _theory_ funny. don’t worry though. i have a good _radon_ the subject. ”

“G-Guys…?”

“Why didn’t you _lead_ with that? _Science_ your _sodium_ smart.”

“in _calcium_ didn’t know, this is practically my _element_. I tell so many puns, you won't be able to _scandium_.”

“Oh reeeally? You don’t find it to _boron?_ ”

“G-guys-”

“maybe _periodically_. but i can’t seem to _potassium_ up for long.”

“Well-”

“Guys!”

Both Sans and Hue turned to Alphys who blushed after she shouted at them.

“Th-the s-scan i-is up.” she ducked her head embarrassed. “H-Has been f-for a l-little.”

“So it i-” 

The human froze, face half still caught in a smile from the pun off. Looking at the screen, they began to shake. Tears began to silently leak from their quickly becoming distant eyes. Hands trailing back to dig into their arms. Hard. Sans could see they had broken the skin, yet just as before didn’t seem to be aware of it.

“shit.” 

On screen was a human soul. A cartoonish little heart. Not inherently anything to fear on it’s appearance alone. However, this soul had a deep, thin, small crack in it leaking it’s perseverance. There was barely any left. Only the bottom half had any of that purple left, but that too, would eventually dissipate. The rest was clear like glass with the smallest of off-white clinging to it.

And it was **empty**. 

For me seeing that familiar emptiness. It … wasn’t good. It was as if I had been doused with cold water and thrown back into the arctic white space once more. The End. Fading into nothing. I was nothing. Yet I was something. 

Pleading, crying out, begging. None of it could escape my thoughts - both my prison, and my sanctuary, it was **me**. Denying so hard for so long that those memories were me, even as they were mine - that they were _you_ even as they weren’t _yours_. I hurt - it _hurt_. A pain so deep and a longing so ingrained. If only I could be _me_. To feel the air on my skin, hear the gentle buzz of the world, see more than the utter nothingness that surrounds me - that is me, but also isn’t. 

I felt a pressure. A weight. But there’s nothing here. It’s The End - there _can’t_ be anything past The End … can there? There was a vibration … like … talking? There were two tones. But they didn’t sound like Writer. Writer's voice was soft. But ... how? There was nothing here there was-

Arms. There were two sets of arms wrapped around me. One white and boney, one yellow and scaly. I slowly came back to the present. I had a body. I was alive.

I was in the lab.

I was _here_. 

And I was me.

I let out a soft sigh of contentment, a small smile creeping up my face. I may be traumatized and about to die, but like hell I wasn’t going to cherish it all the same. It wasn’t all bad, even up to now. Like Grilby's, or making Papyrus smile - I did that. I held on to the happy to combat the bad.

...I kinda got overwhelmed with the fear the moment I got here, didn’t I? I wasn’t going to take this for granted anymore. After all, even with a time limit;

There was still so much Potential. 

I took another breath, really letting myself experience it, even as it hitched a little on my sore throat. Not even breath could be had after The End. It was exceedingly calming, really experiencing what I'm doing, rather than just doing. I should do mindful exercises more often. It was divinely therapeutic - letting myself be in the moment, rather than just ‘dealing’ with the present through distancing from it. It’s what I’ve always wanted. How could I have forgotten that? Even if it hurts, it’s my hurt and it means I'm still here.

And I will cherish it till The End.

There were tears on my face again. I took a shuddering breath. As nice as it would be to just hug the last hour away, I had a better idea then that. I attempted to give the arms holding me a reassuring squeeze only to find myself once again gripped deeply into an object I had no recollection receiving. It was Sans hoodie. And … I was bleeding again. On Sans’ hoodie. Shit.

“Y-your jacket-”

“shh, shh. it’s fine. it’s been through worse.”

He’s right. I could think of something _much_ worse it had been through - and by extension, it’s wearer. The tears flowed just a little faster at that reminder and I hugged it closer. I wasn’t the only one who had suffered.

Alphys spoke through her own tears.

“I-I’m s-sorry! I-I-I d-d-didn’t kn-know th-that w-w-would h-happen!” she whipped her eyes as she looked away. “I-It’s m-my f-fault.”

I manage to release one hand from the hoodie and placed it reassuringly on her cheek, clearing a tear. Gross - but if it helps, it helps. The positioning was awkward in our impromptu huddle-hug, but I managed to look her in the eyes. 

“No. I asked to see.” I said. “You couldn’t have known I would react that way. _I_ didn’t even know I would act that way. I just happen to have been reminded of something … traumatic.” 

Seeing as I was stable enough, the two monsters decided it would be okay to regain their chairs - Sans letting go first. Though Alphys kept a hand on my upper arm. Sans offered me monster candy and I promptly popped it into my mouth letting it heal my arms. Again. I shudder as the pain dissipates. 

I try to offer Sans his jacket and he tenses and looks away slightly.

“uh. you hang onto it for a bit.”

Right. The blood. 

Also - I’m still in pajamas I realize. With a mental shrug I put it on, to his mild surprise and Alphys'... horror? No wait - I knew that face. She was mentally shipping us. Ugh, Alphys. And you were doing so well too.

I shove my hands deep into the pockets to the sounds of flatulence and Sans snorting. Alphys looked between the two of us wide-eyed in surprise. I decided to play it off like I didn't just set of an unconfirmed number of whoopie cushions.

“What? No take backs. Dems the rules.”

I dug my hands in deeper to accentuate the point, setting off a few stragglers. My stoic face maaay have cracked just a bit.

He rolled his eyes with a chuckle, then went to put his hands into pockets - but I had his jacket - he _literally_ just turned it down. I snorted, bemused. With one hand I lowered my glasses to the edge of my nose to look at him (I couldn't see him clearly like this, but it was the price of comedy).

"Missing something~?"

I put my glasses back in place to see his reaction. The cushions didn't go off this time when I replaced my hand now that I knew they were there. Why he didn't use a pair of them again instead of his jacket, I may never know. Though it might have to do with the fact that functioning whoopie cushions could be hard to come by. Or maybe he panicked.

Shrugging, he scratched a cheek bone, "pfft. naaaaw." and disappeared.

Not two seconds later, he returned wearing a different, fluffier jacket. It was much thicker and a darker blue, with black sleeves / hood and sunshine yellow fluff lining it. The draw string also had yellow pompoms attached. It remains unzipped. I can't recall if I've seen a Sans wear something similar or not.

“what?” he asked as I scrutinized. “‘s just my winter wear.”

“It's always winter wear you live.” I pointed out.

He just smirked and shrugged, finally able to place hands in pockets.

I mutter about Sanses and their coats.

Pretty quickly, the silence turns uncomfortable, however, when no new conversation topic pops up. Guess that's expected in a room of introverts. Am I an introvert? Huh. Or maybe I'm just awkward.

“S-so..” Alphys attempts to break the silence. Bless her reptilian heart. “Wh-what are y-you going to d-do now?” she asked me.

“I don’t have any major ambitions before I die.” Alphys winced at the word die. “But I do have a couple of ideas. Though … hey Sans?”

“a-yup.” He said snapping his focus to you.

Yeah. As if he weren't still suspicious and dying to question me. Though technically it was me dying so … yeah.

“Mind if I borrow you for a bit for travel? I have a few stops in mind. In return I promise you the secrets of the multiverses - so long as I know it and won't give you _too_ bad an existential crisis.”

“...deal.” 

He had looked excited at the prospect of multiversal secrets at first, but wisely, became more hesitant when I added the existential crisis.

“where to first?”

“W-wait - just l-like that?” Alphys asked perplexed. Clearly she thought I was joking about my knowledge.

“a-yup.” 

“Aw. Don’t worry Alph. Maybe he’ll share.” I smirked. “To Grillby’s! I’ve a burger to finish!” 

I simultaneously interlock my arm with Sans’ and pose.

“wait. really?” Sans looked smug at the first destination.

“Really. Those burgers are _to die for_.” I enunciated.

“D-don’t say that.” Alphys said, attempting to sound scolding. Kinda hard to be mad at someone dying and with a _killer_ sense of humor. 

There was a snort from Sans at the pun, despite the dark content.

“A-and d-don’t laugh at that.” She said, turning to Sans.

“Why?” I asked the start of a smirk. “I’m _dead_ serious.”

Sans was trying to hide his snickers, knowing he shouldn’t laugh, doesn't _want_ to laugh, but is having a hard time under such confident delivery. Alphys pouted.

I smile softly. “Take care of yourself.”

And just like that, we were gone.

Alphys was left alone once more in the lab and she sighed. They seemed like a nice human too. It was hard to imagine what had hurt them so bad and in such a way. She looked back at the computer and the broken soul she saw there. Then she remembered the recorder - she may have set it up, but they hadn’t actually seen the results. Quickly, she pulled up a knew tab with the recorded video and rewind to the beginning, watching the aura carefully in the hopes of finding something that might help.

Low and behold, there was something anomalous right off the bat, aura like a violent purple fire. It almost looked … as if … but that’s silly. But is it? Souls don’t leak like this. Maybe… 

She pulled out the sampler again and looked at the swab. The purple was completely gone … despite it being air/magic tight. Confused, surprised and unsure what this meant, she had it scan the swab once more.

ERROR - no soul matter present.

That … didn’t make sense. There should still be at _least_ a residue - it was designed to keep soul matter present and stable. Looking back to the recorder, she leaned in close to see if there was something she had missed … there! When you were punning with Sans there appeared to be -

The metal door leading into Hotlands slammed open with a great force - despite it being an automatic - as Undyne made her entrance. She wasn’t alone.

“NYAHHHH! Human! Don’t you DARE lose to some sickness! We haven’t even had our cooking match yet!” She looked ready to punch what ailed the human into submission.

“AND YOU HAVE YET TO SAMPLE THE CULINARY EXPERTISE THAT IS MY FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI! NYEH HEH!” Papyrus struck a pose.

Alphys sat in shocked silence for a few seconds, when there is a polite knock from the direction of what was left of the doors, followed by a kind female voice.

“Greetings, Doctor Alphys. I have received word of a fallen human in dire conditions. Might I meet with them should their condition allow it …?”

Papyrus looked around the lab. “...WHERE IS THE HUMAN…? ARE THEY HIDDEN?” 

“Th-they … l-left with S-Sans.”

Alphys began to sweat as Queen Toriel narrowed her eyes.

O-oh boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no Papyrus. _they're_ not hidden - i am XD
> 
> what do you think of the science fiction? ... i suck at naming things so i'll stick with Recorder, Sampler and Scanner.
> 
> the scanner device shows up in a lot of forms and fics, doesn't it...? meh. they all do basically the same. showing invisible states such as INV, SPD / plot relevant discovery - so I decided it's _not_ the machine to find the thing! but a combination of two others! so creative *pat self on back*
> 
> the sampler, much like the scanner, gives more info into the make-up of a soul - but it focuses less on states and more on the matter itself.
> 
> the recorder, is just a fancy camera ... lol okay, it shows an aura like thing that can show a persons emotional state, bit of personality and overall power level ... wonder what was weird about their aura...? XD
> 
>   
> theories on Writer anyone? is that ... _remorseful tsundere_ i hear?
> 
> ~~"... don't u dare." - Writer~~
> 
> you'll find out, but i'm curious what your thoughts are.


	5. Don't. Move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *screams in lower case* sorry if this took to long for your liking. went on an anime binge, including such underrated anime as Nanbaka, Durarara, Natsume Yujinchou ... i'm not good with restraint, so after anime, i'd watch more things. then there were the fanfics i'm keeping tabs on, and webtoons i've forgotten to keep up with for the last month ... and art for DA i've neglected completing....
> 
> so much entertainment and variety! and yet your here, reading this. should i feel touched or confused? maybe even concerned???
> 
> also - mom got grandma a puppy for her bday! (a boarder collie named Buddy - it was discussed getting one before (she just didn't expect him so early :D))

Me and Sans land just outside the infamous Grillby’s and my smile melts, replaced with light social anxiety.

Sans reached for the door but I stopped him. He gave me the side eye, no doubt wondering at the delay, but didn’t make another move for the door as I try to work up what words I want to convey. 

A small gust of wind made me snuggle deeper into his old jacket (yeah - he’s not getting this back), the whoopee cushions mysteriously disappearing in our brief trip through the void. He probably managed to bring them back into his inventory somehow. But for some reason my brain conjured the amusing image of a baffled Gaster being buried under the little pink things in the Grey Room … I was stalling.

Clearing my throat, I voice what has me hesitating.

“When we go in, could we maybe … not mention the imminent death? Everyone already knows I'm sick. I’m not sure I could handle the look of pity intensity amping up any more than that.”

“sure, if that’s what you want.” He winked, but remained serious. “‘alphys is looking into it and possible remedies with the information she gathered. we decided to hang out and tour the underground while waiting.’ sound about right?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

I chalked that one up to technically the truth. It’s the truth! … technically. 

He reached for the door and just before it swung open I gave a small thanks.

“no problem.” He muttered back.

It probably was. I was likely being a giant inconvenience. But at least I wont be for to long.

 _Stop that._ I tell myself firmly. I will not give into the thought that I don't have just as much worth as another. If I'm a bother, I expect to be told so. Until then, I should keep positive.

The cozy bar was emptier than before, the most notable absence was Dogamy and Dogaressa. The half burger was also missing. Probably not expecting us back, Grillby likely cleaned it away. Shame.

We stepped in and Grillby let out a few sparks of surprise.

“...you’re back.” he said in his soft, crackly voice.

“yup." sans said casually, "alphys did some tests. now all’s left to do is wait. what better way than to show off the underground’s best tourist _hot spots?_ ”

The pun did it’s best to pull a smirk from me. Though, I could practically feel the fire elementals eye roll, his glasses obscuring the action.

“Also, I really liked your burgers.” I cut in. Frisk may be fine letting others speak for them, but I feel the need to contribute something to the conversation. “Do you mind if I get one to go? I, uh … didn’t get to finish the last one.”

Grillby sighed, and his shoulders relaxed marginally as he nodded. I felt his gaze shift to Sans. It's a weird, just knowing where someone is looking without seeing it. But not all monsters have eyes so, magic something something.

“... I take it that means they are well enough for travel.”

He may have phrased it as a statement, but even I heard the underlying question. What a Dadby. 

“well enough.”

After a second, the elemental gave another nod and headed back to fill the order. 

Sans slid into his usual spot. I, however, had an engagement at the poker table I was not going to miss. Sans, thankfully, let me be as he settled in for a nap in his fluffy jacket. 

And it was with much joy and great pleasure that I was allocated the honor and privilege of petting the Dog Squad - minus the dog couple - while I awaited my burger.

They were sooo fluffy. Wherever you are, you should be jelly. No - wait. This is mine. Back off.

All too soon however, the burger came and I had to extract myself from the literal dog pile I had found myself in. At some point I think I even saw Annoying Dog, but I couldn’t be sure.

I gently shook Sans shoulder to wake him.

“where to now?” Sans asked as I secured my bounty.

“...I want to try and peak under Riv’s hood.” I said, guilty but sure.

He looked at me blankly for a second before he had the gaul to snort at me.

Sans couldn’t help but snort at the grimly serious look they gave while saying that. It was just too good.

“fine. but you’re going to be disappointed.” Sans said with a smirk.

Hue gasped exaggeratedly and looked around as if they were talking about something scandalous before leaning forward conspiratorially.

“I take it this means you know what he’s got under there then?”

“maybe~” 

They leaned back and placed a hand between them.

“No. No spoilers - I want it to be a surprise!”

“oh it’ll be a surprise alright.”

A shortcut later and they stood on the frosty bank of Snowdin. Riverperson could be seen just turning the bend. In a few seconds they would be docked in front of them. The eternal winter riverside was extremely picturesque. 

“You know we could have walked that, right?” Hue asked.

“ew. walking. i’m allergic.”

They stifled their laughter. 

“How could I forget?” They said with an eye roll. There was a gleam in their eye as they went on. “And here I thought it was … _pollen_ your head.”

They snickered at their own joke and Sans joined in good naturedly as Riv pulled up.

“Tra la la~ I like to ride in my boat. Would you care to join?”

“Yup. Waterfall if you would.”

With a cloaked arm, Riv gestured for them to board.

Once they were on, Hue asked. “Is it okay if I see what’s under your hood?”

“Tra la la~ You are welcome to try~”

Sans sat himself at the back and watched amused as Hue attempted to lean this way and that without capsizing the boat in order to get a look under the hood. Riv was used to kids pulling the same so they didn’t mind their behavior.

At one point they were leaning so far forward that Sans was near certain they had succeeded in seeing under the hood, if the way their eyes widened with shock was any indicator. It was rare for Riv to drop the veiling magic, so he couldn't be sure they saw much.

They turned to Sans with a smug but also confused look. They appeared to be about to say something but lost balance and fell overboard. Riv was quick to stop the boat as Sans burst out laughing at their pouting pace as they floated back to the surface of the water.

“Har, har. Laugh it up. You’re lucky I know how to swim.”

Sans snorted at that.

“it’s a saltwater river heated with magic. don’t even need to paddle to float. why do you think the shores of Snowden don’t freeze.”

“I - now that you mention it, I do feel pretty buoyant ... Now are you just gonna sit there giggling, or are you going to lend me a hand?”

“hmm. what to do, what to do.” Sans sat there pretending to make a big deal of the decision, when suddenly he found the seat he was on ejected him into the water too.

“riv. did you just …”

“Tra la la~ You appear to be in a pickle.”

I took the confusion as a chance for vengeance. I gave Sans a large splash, only to whistle while floating as if I _didn’t_ just do that.

“oh you are so gonna regret that.”

And hence the beginning of the Water Wars. They only lasted a few minutes, but they were intense, passionate and merciless. Riv continued to float along with them on the boat, making sure not to get too far. He'd make a great Life Guard on the Surface.

After getting back in the boat, thoroughly soaked, we had a good laugh. It was decided that it ended with a draw.

“it’s pretty rare for you to show your playful side, Riv.” Sans teased, still out of breath and smiling lazily.

“Tra la la~ Laughter is the best medicine.”

Both me and Sans shared a look. It was bound to happen.

“You, uh, know about that?” I asked tentatively.

“Tra la la~ I both know and don’t know many things. I should wear more layers often.”

“riv’s just like that.” Sans shrugged.

“Yeah, I know. It’s just always so sudden.”

“Tra la la~ All is not as it seems.”

We pulled up to the Waterfall doc and excited the boat.

“Tra la la~ Perhaps we will meet again, Vessel of Y/N. But perhaps not. That depends on You.”

They drifted away with one more tra la la.

Sans and I stare after them for a second. We were both still dripping wet.

“Well. That was fun. Then it was cryptic. And now I’m soaked. Hotlands?”

“hotlands.” 

In a blink they were next to Sans’ Hotland station.

I coughed again and came up more purple. It was starting to burn less … probably not much power left in it. Or I was getting used to it. I took the small towel out of my inventory and cleaned it up. The heat from Hotland would be enough for the water, so I returned it to my inventory.

“....so. vessel of y/n, eh?”

“‘Parently. No clue what it means though. Would have thought it would be the other way around.”

“what do you mean?”

“Well, this is Y/N’s body - one of them - but i’m the one in it, so that would make Y/N the ‘Vessel’ or whatever … right?”

“dunno. riv’s not usually one to call one out by a title and they’re usually right. should have seen my face the first time he addressed me by ‘judge.’”

“Was it like this?” I asked, squishing my face up with my hands.

“heh. no … you’re not taking this very seriously, are you?”

“Not really.” they admitted. “It’s Riv drabble. We’ll understand what it means when the time’s right or whatever. No point thinking too hard on it right now.”

“...fair enough.” 

Sans wasn’t so sure they should brush it off so easily. Riv only used his title once, and that was just before his first and only genocide fight. The kid had only gone back on everything after they struck him down.

“so what did you think about what was under the hood.”

“Oh my stars - you were right. Knowing what’s under there takes away the fun imagining it. It was still fun and unexpected anyway.”

As we waited for our clothes to dry, I unwrapped the Grillburg from my inventory. Sans took another nap at his station.

If I closed my eyes I could almost imagine the heat of Hotland was the sun on a particularly humid day as I bit into the burger. 

I could practically see it.

An intense water balloon fight, Grillby manning the BBQ, monster and human kids running around the pool forming mixed fractions. Clear skies as far as you could see … 

It was too bad I wouldn’t get to see the Surface as myself. And before I knew it, I had finished the burger and our clothes had dried.

“Yo.” I said poking him awake. “Take me to the Wishing Room.”

He blinked at me, then smirked. 

“now, is that any way to ask a favor?”

Oh, I can play that game. I took a deep breath.

“I wish to be transported to the room of my preference, oh kind sir. I would be forever grateful to you for-”

“alright, alright.” He took my hand, already teleporting us over getting what I was about to do. “any idea how many more hops you wanna do?”

“This is the last one … guess that means you get your questions now.”

I got comfortable as I lay down in the slightly damp grass. My eyes stay locked on the stones as the glitter. A sad smile crosses my face as I take it in. After a moment, Sans joins me on the ground.

The Wishing Room. 

Where monsters come from all over the Underground and make wishes on sparkling rocks in place of the stars. Wishes of freedom and the simple things it would bring, like the sun and sky. It was a sad, but hopeful place. It connected to me very deeply. 

If there was one place I wanted to spend my final moment, it was here.

If Y/N were as free and beautiful as the real stars in the sky, then I was the rocks, trying my best to shine even a fraction as bright - and that’s okay. Not everyone burns as bright or long or sparkles as pretty. I’m just happy I got my chance to shine, even if I envied the real deal just a bit. 

But a wish on a copy is still a wish. It’s the wish that counts … not the package it comes in.

I’m glad I made it here somehow. That didn’t mean I felt no guilt over stealing this from you - but you already had so many stories. I just wanted one of my own. I hope you can forgive me … wherever you are. It was never you I blamed.

You’re not the one with the script.

Maybe if the circumstances were different, we could have even been friends.

“so …” Sans broke the quiet eloquently.

“So.” I agreed, just as fluent in the art of awkward starters.

“...other universes. what are they like?”

Oh, wow. What a loaded question. 

“Well that narrows it down.” I laugh.

“no good?”

“No, no you’re good. Just doesn’t make it easy for me.” I humm and try to think of one that would be a good start. Welp, when in doubt, start with the classics. “Okay. So this world is called Undertale, right? There’s another called Underswap. Everyone's personalities are swapped. Picture you with Papyrus’ personality running around saying, ‘mweh heh heh,’ and a lazy Papyrus with a smoking habit.”

He sat up to look me in the eye.

“you’re shitting me.”

“Nnnnope.” I popped the ‘p.’ “And don’t let Pap hear that language. For shame.”

“k. hit me with another.”

“Well … there’s also Underfell. Not such a nice place, where things are … violent. Murdery is a word right? There’s also Swapfell, a violent Underswap, and Fellswap, a swapped Underfell.”

Sans was silent. The corners of his mouth where turned down a bit.

“... there’s also Outertale where monsters are in space?”

He lit up at that.

“like. ‘space,’ space?”

“Like. ‘Space,’ space.” I confirmed. “Stars as far as you can see. Instead of Waterfall, they have Starfall and it perpetually has commits trailing across the sky over a crystal lake. It’s as if you’re surrounded by the constant movement of the cosmos.”

Sans sighed contentedly. “wish i could see that.”

“If you ever get the chance you should go. However, there are no sunrises or sunsets, so don’t go thinking they got it all. And if you’re not watching where you’re walking you could float away. Veryyyy sloooowlllyyyy. What an embarrassing way to go.”

“but it would make a nice place to visit.”

“Oh definitely. Most multiverse travelers end up there for star gazing at one point or another.”

“other multiverse travelers?”

“Yeah! Like, Ink, Error, Nightmare, Dream, Core Frisk, and the one- who- if- you- say- their- name- might- show- up. And I guess it depends on the multiverse on how many others travel.”

“one- who- if- you- say- their- name- might- show- up?”

“Depending on the multiverse he might be a misunderstood Sans, or he could be a soul eating parasite. Let’s not chance it.”

“... and the other’s?”

“Again, depending on the multiverse they could be good or bad. Except Core Frisk. They’re cool. And near omnipresent, so I don’t wanna talk about them while they could potentially be listening - that would be rude.”

“...”

“Okay. So to start. Depending on the universe, Ink and Error may be literal gods, creator of AU’s and destroyer of AU’s, respectively, or just really strong Sans’ that still do those things.”

“i thought you said they could be good or bad. destroying au’s doesn’t sound like a good thing any way you slice it.”

I attempt to explain.

“In some multiverses there isn’t enough room to make everything and Ink - despite being the one making or helping make the AU’s - doesn’t know that, so he just creates willy-nilly. Meaning if Error doesn’t take out a few AU’s, all of them could be at risk of a domino effect and total annihilation. Sometimes he doesn’t even like his job - sometimes he does a little too much. He hears voices that may or may not be beings from beyond reality. Sometimes Y/N has memories of being from out there. Like now if they were present.” 

“... oh. and the others?”

“Nightmare and Dream are brothers. Guardians of negativity and positivity. Long story there, but in most universes they don’t get along.”

“i can see why.”

“Oh really?”

“from that tone of voice i can tell i’m probably wrong, aren’t i?”

“Likely. They were actually very close as kids. Nightmare even read Dream bedtime stories.”

“so, what happened?”

“You asked for it." I took a deep breath. "A town of petty people moved in around the tree of feelings the two guarded. The villagers bullied Nightmare relentlessly because of his role they didn't understand and used Dream because of his kindness. Neither knew of the other's troubles and, one day, Nightmare has enough and eats as many apples off the tree as he can, going mad in the process, turning his brother to stone for a few centuries and killing the tree along with a lot of the villagers. And depending on the multiverse, he’s still being fueled by insanity and negative emotions, or he manages to chill out and regret what he did and created an adopted family of other possibly insane or misunderstood Sans.”

“oh is that all?”

“Well no. On the rarer time it’s Dream that breaks first. But there’s not really a way to verify which one is accurate in this Multiverse, so I went with the higher odds.”

“y’know. i’m beginning to wonder if i should be hearing all this.”

“I did promise you the secrets of the multiverse. Is it really a secret if you should know about it? Speaking of-” I rolled over into that typical ‘gossip at a sleepover’ pose. “Error has a doll collection he made himself and loves chocolate.”

“the destroyer likes chocolate and dolls.” He repeated blankly.

“And the Creator has black tattoos-like marks over ninety percent of his bones. And he sometimes lacks a soul, so he needs to supplement it from the power of creation to feel emotions. By drinking special paint that can be collected from making new AU's.”

“half this sounds so bogus, you can’t be making it up. but i’m not consumed with existential dread yet.”

“Oh .. yeah. I, uh … kinda skipped that part. Are you sure you want to know that bit? It involves how the multiverse is perceived from the outside. It … not gonna lie it’ll be devastating to know.”

“... so the whole part where literal gods may inadvertently destroy the multiverse at any moment wasn’t it.”

"Afraid not."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly between his teeth before cussing.

“fu(n)k.” 

He blinked confused as that was not what he had meant to say.

“what the he(ck)?”

“sh(ee)t - stop swearing or we’ll incur his wrath.” I whispered urgently.

“who???” He whispered back.

“The one I didn’t name.”

He got it quickly and his eyelights shrunk to pinpricks.

I could already hear the encroaching, "Yoooooooo!"

We were about to have a (r)ad time.

~~**"where the f(un) is security when u need them???" - Writer** ~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...you guys mentioned *him* in the comments, didn't you? didn't you? or did you just think really hard about how cool it would be for him to cameo? cause i didn't do this. nope. (i'm going to have so much fun with the lingo. grammar check is not - impulsive adds for the win XD)
> 
> you know what they say about plot. "plot is things happening" who cares if it makes sense??? onward to plot!!!
> 
> also i made another fic ^^ it's a "small" silly story and quickly catching up in length to this as it was more planed out and i'm toots lmao over some bits. guess planning is good for something *shrug* but we don't do that here on Once In A Lifetime. here's the link!
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/28949814/chapters/71035692#workskin 
> 
> f(resh) ... how does one link? does it not just ... work???
> 
> _*...donno broski. You're spos' ta be the radtastic creator, now ain't ch'ya homeslice?_
> 
> *falls out of chair*
> 
> ~~"security!!!" - Writer~~
> 
> _*Shoutout to mah radical comment brosephs - say YOLO fer me, kay? Catch ya'll on the flipside you fly funky fellas._


	6. An Unfresh Altercation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh no ... it's Fresh ...

The arrival of Fresh was how you would expect it; chaos.

Of course, it started off with the iconic Fresh-Poof - his variation of a Sans’ teleport/shortcut. That is to say, an excessive cloud of sparkles, streamers, confetti and the literal words of “Fresh-Poof” materializing and dematerializing in a matter of seconds. In the place of the color bomb was the skeletal equivalent … Fresh and his YOLO sunglasses. Glasses that hid the reason he was (sometimes) the most feared being in the universe.

He was taller than the average Sans. Taller than I was at the moment even. His outfit seemed to have fled the 90’s to live on with this Sans to escape the fires of fashion progression. 

But apparently that wasn't weird enough an opener, because said colorful skeleton also decided to add a few seconds of flipping a skateboard in his hands like one of those professional sign flippers before settling it under one arm. The colorful (it always is, with fresh - unless it involves language) design on the bottom of the board read “S’up?” in the same shade of yellow and blue of his sunglasses.

To say that Sans was confused about what was going on was an understatement. I was already on my feet, even as he was stunned to the ground by the experience that is the skeleton Fresh. Before Sans could even begin to compose himself, the neon nightmare spoke.

“Yoooo! S’up mah rad brosephs?” He started out jovially, slinging his free arm around my shoulders like he hadn’t a care in the world. It was such a fluid shortcut, I had been unable to do anything about it and it left me a tense mess. His tone turned dangerously accusatory. “Didn’t you bradical bros ever hear that gossip and cursing is mad unrad?”

His glasses lowered and the text changed from “YOLO” to “RUN!” giving me a whole eyeful of the monster soul shape beneath as it flared purple streams of pure magic. Regardless of how tense this interaction was, I stared at that shape.

No tentacles. No cracking. He was just a Sans. An insanely powerful one, but at least I wouldn’t have to worry about him attempting to consume what was left of my soul as an appetizer before he moved on to Sans.

I was so relieved, what I did next surprised even me as I relaxed under his arm and I gave him a hug from the relief. It was his turn to stiffen. 

“You’re not a parasite …” 

I didn’t even know I had spoken until he shifted, turning his face away from me, sunglasses back in place but blank.

“Heh heh, you must’ve not got that unrad memo from that uncool colored skelly-bro. I’m one radtastically bad Sans, man.”

Uncool colored skelly-bro …? Gotta be Ink. So he’s spreading the tale of Fresh the Parasite before confirming its validity here? Harsh. But it happens. Those are usually the hardest timelines on Fresh, poor guy.

I squeeze harder and say it more firmly. 

“You’re not a parasite. Ink can be an idiot.”

His chuckle was shakier the second time.

“You’re, uh." His tone was fairly flat. "Pretty insistent on that, for someone who “didn’t want to chance it.” Aren’t you broseph.”

Ah - so that’s why he showed up. He was probably angry I said it that way and the swearing was the last straw. Guess you only need to talk about him for him to know. Not even say his name. Now I feel awful. This is why I didn’t talk about Core Frisk’s tragic background.

I finally let go, adjusting my glasses and look away sheepish. If Fresh needed to use his sleeve to rub his eyesockets for a second, I would not blame him. He came here to intimidate another hater - not get hugs and acknowledgement. What a way to throw one out of groove.

“I’m sorry …" I said, genuinely. "But in some multiverses, you really are as bad as Ink says. Maybe even worse.”

“Don’ know ‘bout the plural multiverses all too well." Fresh shrugged. "But that explains why your little bud-pals upstairs were pretty wigged out to see me.”

~~**“Oh gr8. I hoped we’d go** **_without_ ** **the whole 4th-wall break thing. It’s sooo tacky.” - Writer**~~

~~(Authors Note: pretty ironic, coming from you.)~~

~~**“Double 4 u tho u hypocrite. Go back 2 ur notes u closet goblin. This is _my_ thing.” - Writer** ~~

“Friends upstares …?” I asked. It hit me. “Annons?”

“Somethin’ to that effect.” He said with a smirk, sunglasses “LAWL”ing.

It really shouldn’t surprise me that that’s the case. My life has always been a show for the real Y/N's - of course there were viewers even now. I had even thought about this before. But honestly, having been in their many shoe's before, I can’t really fault them, knowing how much they love fics. I kind of see the appeal even, and it's not like the _really_ know we're real. 

“ok…” Sans said, finally having composed himself. “what just happened.”

“Sans, this is Fresh.” I introduced him. “Radist skeleton in the AUs.”

“Aw.” He bowed, holding the skateboard out behind him. “You’re too kind, homeslice.”

No blush. Nice. Nicknames from Fresh are always a given though.

“sooo he’s not a soul eating parasite.”

Fresh did his best to be discrete when he cringed even as his glasses betrayed him with “RUDE” spelt out. I pat his arm.

“Nope.” I answered. “As soon as he lowered his sunglasses I could tell. Parasite Fresh looks kinda like a purple squid-starfish thing and you can literally see the souls being devoured.”

“Wait - what? Really???” I nod. “Gnarly.” 

“Totally.”

“and you’re here because???” 

Apparently Sans was still confused. Poor guy. That’s a pretty typical reaction to Fresh. I pat his arm too.

“Couldn’t help overhearing your little uncool gossip sesh after you up and mentioned me by that wack nick.” Fresh admitted. “Though Nightmare reading Dream to sleep was way funny, yo, it’s not very good for business broslice.”

“Business?” Was he referring to …

“Ever hear of the Balance.” Fresh asked, sunglasses void of lettering.

I cringed.

“Y-yeah … that’s how things are run here?”

“Yup. So don' go 'round spreading unradical rumor's of redemption, yo. Makes what has to be done that much harder.”

“What an explisitive Fate.”

He snorted at that, ”YOLO” returning to its rightful spot. “Seems you found a loophole for my radical lingual improvements?”

“Sorry.” I said tilting my head innocently. “Was that explisitive to explicit?”

"Naw, bro." Fresh said seriously. "If there's one thing the people can curse all they want, it's Fate."

He checked his wrist before he dropped his skateboard, but kept it in place.

“Oh man. I gotta up and flip back to base, bro-dudes. Catch ya later maybe.”

“... probably not.” I said remembering my situation and why we were in the Wishing Room. The words just kind of slipped out.

“Right, that.” He said, making me blink. “But, Hue dude ... who said being empty meant you would die? Jus' might feel like that sometimes. You’ve got a lot more potential than ya think.”

~~**“Spoilers!!! How did u even no that??” - Writer** ~~

~~(Authors Note: … I had wondered where that sticky note went.)~~

~~**“... u need a better system. I’m banning u from fic cameos until i forgive you. Which is never.” - Writer** ~~

Fresh rolled backwards with a shrug and a smirk. And before anything could be said back, he ollied his way into yet another Fresh-Poof, narrated with a deep voice claiming "rad dawg~" ... he was someone else's guest now.

But what he said before he left stood out. What did that even …? Riv’s drabble. Fresh’s hint. All was not as it seemed. Who said being empty meant I would die? Holy shit - I would live!? Never mind how he had known, he always had the knack of knowing things he shouldn't - but holy hell, those implications.

Suddenly, there was thumping from the distance. Sans and I both had the same "what now" expression. It got progressively louder, _very_ fast, until -

“NYAHHH!!! ALPHYS YOU BETTER NOT TELL ME THEY MOVED AGAIN!” She saw them. “I mean ... What’s up? No, wait. FORGET that! Alphys needs you back at the labs! RIGHT NOW!”

Her sapphire blue scales already glistened with a sweet that would make any Alphys blush, contrasting her scarlet ponytail. She did not hesitate to pick me up and promptly run back towards Hotland. Likely forgetting Sans could have just shortcut them all there. Smells like fish, the game script would say. It would not be wrong.

We left Sans in the dust, real quick. Or Undyne did. I was just a package to be delivered at this point, I guess. Not really helping my self esteem, but if you know anything about Undynes, a little rough treatment is expected, but it’s coming from a good place. 

"So, uh" I begin. "Any reason why Alphys needs me back?"

I could guess at this point it was probably what had been hinted at.

"Said she found - something! The science scan thing - had a tiny thing behind - the big thing!"

Oh Undyne, you passionate fish. Who thought it was a good idea for you to work in a lab, and _not_ as the subject of study? Probably Alphys. Though she likely gets a bit of "studying" in too.

"Thank you, Undyne." For trying.

She gave me a sharp smile as we made a pretty fast time considering. She was panting pretty hard though. Must have been going at it for a while. Hopefully not the full hour, right …? Surely not - okay, updated to _maybe_ not.

I just hope when we get to the lab she doesn't decide to do a celebratory suplex. Or a football spike. Or anything involving bodily harm to my persons due to a bout of unthought out passion.

Fortunately, it wasn't long until we got to the beginning of Hotland considering we started near the beginning of Waterfall. Down side was I feel ass though I rode express by jackhammer and was lucky my glasses remand with us for the full journey.

Sans' station was ahead. Sans himself predictably beat us there and was, you guessed it, having yet another nap at aforementioned station.

Undyne woke him up with a slammed hand on the counter.

He blinked awake. He saw me and ended up giving me a lazy smirk.

"well if it isn't the meat-skeleton."

I snorted.

"Well if it isn't the sans-everything- _but_ -the-skeleton."

"... you guys are weird." Undyne declared. 

Neither of us disputed the fact and Sans even shrugged. It was obvious we would be a little weird, seeing as our coping mechanisms of humor was helping cover up the fact that we'd been living in time loops for an unspecified duration. What a wackey world we're in.

"Ugh - ANYWAY. We should get moving. Hotland sucks! To the lab!"

Sans merely poked Undyne and we were there.

She stared him down, for a few seconds. A deep breath and an exhale.

"... you could've done that when I found you."

"yup."

"And you let me run all the way here after how long it took to find you?"

"ayup."

"... I honestly don't know what to say."

"to be fair, i did still let you skip the rest of hotland."

“Okay - that is fair.” She relented.

“Why’s the lab door broken?” I asked, seeing some lava pools beyond.

“Er - my bad.” She admitted. 

Just then, Alphys could be seen coming down the escalator in a cleaner lab coat. 

Undyne gave her her biggest smile yet. Undyne raised me above her head like that scene from The Lion King when she saw her. So no spike or suplex. Nice.

“BEHOLD! I have brought you the human! Fu hu hu!”

“U-Undyne, t-that’s great!” Alphys blushed with a dorky lopsided grin.

Those two were too cute together. I can see Undynes confidence was wearing off on her a little now that she was in the same room. I wondered if they were dating yet or if they were both still secretly pining for each other? I may find a way to slip that into the conversation at some point. Maybe after science.

Now that we _weren’t_ going speeds more suitable for a small car than a living being, I felt a distinct discomfort that meant nothing good.

“Hey Undyne. Mind putting me down now? I think-”

My prothstetic came loose after all that running and it finally fell to the ground. At least it didn’t happen on the way, never to be seen again.

“-yup, that’s what I thought.”

There was silence. Shock. Then-

“OH MY GOD - I broke the human!” 

If it was possible, she held me out even _further_. Like I might start dropping other assorted limbs. I gave an eyeroll.

“W-w-what h-happened!?” Alphys was fidgeting from foot to foot eyes darting everywhere in panicked worry.

Meanwhile Sans is laughing his ass off, having known about it already.

“i - i’d lend you a _hand_.” Sans said. “but it appears you need a _foot_.”

“SANS! THIS IS NOT THE TIME!” Undyne said, channeling her inner Papyrus.

Speaking of papyrus, I wonder where he is?

“I SENSE PUNS AND I AM NOT PLEASED!”

Ah - upstairs. Where Alphys just left. The exclamation was followed by a laughter as light as bells as not one, but two forms descended from above.

“What is this about puns?”

“LADY DREEMURR. PLEASE DO NOT ENCOURAGE HIM … OR JOIN HIM AS IT WERE FOR YOUR CASE.”

When Papyrus and Toriel finally saw the scene they had stumbled in on, they paused in sync.

“Hello Queen Toriel.” I start, pretty much not affected by this type of chaos. “It seems we got off on the wrong _foot_. My name's Hue, it’s nice to meet you. As you can see, I have a prosthetic foot. There is no need for alarm, it got loose on the way back.”

I'm pretty surprised at how calmly I stated all that, given the randomness. But, then again, I had been subjected to a _lot_ of fan fiction and had just met with Fresh. This was just another tuesday. I eat weird for breakfast - it’s an acquired taste.

Papyrus didn't look to surprised by the revelation of my foot status.

"Oh my …" The Queen said, covering her mouth. 

However, seeing that I wasn't actually injured, she offered a kind smile. Her eyes crinkling with mirth at the pun, but her gaze still carried the weight of a ruler and widower to a child killer. No wonder Froggets flee beneath her glare. 

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hue.” She gave a small curtsy. “I am glad you and Undyne were able to _foot_ the journey. You and Sans made an interesting chase to watch."

"’Watch?’"

"Yes.” She confirmed. “Alphys has been kind enough to give a video feed of your tour of the Underground. In order to see that you were safe, of course."

"INDEED!!!” Papyrus put in his two cents worth. “IT PROVED TO BE QUITE AMUSING WATCHING UNDYNE ATTEMPT TO TRACK YOU DOWN ONLY FOR YOU TO TAKE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE LAZY SHORTCUTS FROM THAT LAZY BROTHER OF MINE."

Huh … maybe these were the people upstairs Fresh was referencing. Literally upstairs, lol.

"I'll admit.” Toriel said. “His disappearing when the camera turned black for a second, was confusing at first. But it was amusing once Papyrus explained. We were a bit worried when we couldn’t get the camera work during the minutes leading to Undyne's arrival in the Wishing Room."

Well there goes that theory. Guess that means they missed the show named Fresh, otherwise he would have been brought up already. 

“Ah. I see.” I said, still in Undyne's outstretched arms. “We were gossiping, secret swapping, that kind of thing. Good thing someone thought of the cameras. Also, again, I would like to ask to be put down.”

“Oh, right.” 

Undyne set me down. It was a wonder how she didn’t notice her arms getting tired. Maybe they weren't at all.

So, with the practice and grace of the original Y/N, I balance to swoop down to roll up my pajama pants to reveal the hook the foot piece latches onto. It comes in handy having your memories and experience sometimes. Don't know how well I'd be handling a loss of limb with no knowledge of prosthetic mechanisms on top of everything else.

“S-secrets …?” Alphys asked.

Did she forget about the promise about multiversal secrets? I guess she probably didn’t think I was telling the truth in the first place. Now was as good a time to bring up the coupliness the two could have than any moment - science can wait … probably. No one else seems in a hurry, surprisingly. Considering how intent Undyne had been to get me here, I would have thought we’d have started already. Or maybe she just wanted to impress her little scientist with her successful hunt.

“Oh, you know …" I said, feigning uninterest. "Just the names of a scaly crush he knows someone has.”

 _Both_ Undyne and Alphys blush. Got 'em.

Toriel hid a laugh, Sans just lazily watched on with amusement and Papyrus said, “GASP!” out loud. 

I took the moment to reattach my foot.

“L-l-let’s g-get on with the science!” Alphys announced.

“YEAH! Let’s!” Undyne agreed, and I was basically pulled over to the chair I had been in about an hour previously.

“O-okay.” Alphys said as everyone gathered around. Sans hung back a bit. “H-Hue. I w-want you to know … you’re n-not dying.”

Huh. It’s almost as if it had been hinted at repeatedly. As if it was something that should have been obvious and was inevitable.

But I was still relieved to hear the words so clearly stating I could be here for much longer than I had thought. And as if magic, tears of joy spilled down my face.

I would live.

The End would have to wait just a bit longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look, look! i'm in the fic! 
> 
> ~~**"Not any more u ain't." - Writer**~~
> 
> ... it was fun while it lasted.
> 
> poor Undyne - the last hour was mostly running XD from snowden, to hotland, back to snowden, waterfall, hotland, waterfall - she got her workout chasing these two around the underground lol. 
> 
> ...why did they not call him? his phone died. he was to lazy to charge it the night before. and he forgot it at home ... yeah, let's go with that XP
> 
> about Fresh - bet you didn't see _that_ coming ^^ or maybe you did idk
> 
> anyone for a shift in perspective next ch to see how the hour went for the others? ... you guys are fine with delayed answers, right? XD (enough should be laying around for a theory at least)

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading this far - please leave your thoughts below ^^ (and kudos and such ... but only if you feel like it) it really helps with motivation.
> 
> suggestions for what you want to happen are welcome. must be approved by, me (the author), Writer and Ink to proceed - or three people commenting "it's a good idea" to veto (i will not be happy if you ask for Nightmare tentacle porn or Horror vore - _get_ that outa the comments you dirty sinners. not in my house! _the neighbor might got something you'll like though_ ). One bullet point in length plz for each idea. i only have five myself (self challenge) - the rest is made up on the spot as filler (i can get creative with a bullet point). you will be credited for the idea in the beginning notes unless stated otherwise.
> 
> as always, feel free to adopt the ideas (just mine unless stated otherwise) into your own story if you feel so inclined. I do not own Undertale or any of the AU's that may or may not be showing up or mentioned later or their characters ;D
> 
> Credits:  
> Undertale (c) Toby FoX


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